


not going anywhere

by kiyala



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: Community: cottoncandy_bingo, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-29
Updated: 2012-12-29
Packaged: 2017-11-22 21:04:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/614313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiyala/pseuds/kiyala
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mallory had a wife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	not going anywhere

**Author's Note:**

> written for the cottoncandy bingo prompt "childhood sweethearts"

Q isn't even sure how they end up on the subject of it in the first place. He's curled up with Mallory on the sofa as the fireplace slowly crackles, giving everything a muted, orange glow.

"My first kiss?" Q makes a face, even though Mallory can't see. "Terrible. Awkward. Neither of us knew what we were doing. I think he bit me, by accident."

"By accident?" Mallory raises an eyebrow.

"I should hope so. It _hurt_."

Mallory chuckles at that. "You weren't complaining earlier."

Q smiles. He has a fresh set of bite marks on his shoulder, easily hidden under his shirt, from when they'd both come home from work. He props himself up with an elbow, touching his shoulder, watching the way Mallory's gaze follows the motion.

"What about you?" Q asks, shifting so that he's lying on top of Mallory. He bends his head, so that their lips are just barely brushing against each other. "What was your first kiss like?"

Mallory rests his head back against the arm of the sofa and exhales quietly. "Just a quick peck on the lips, really. She was my childhood sweetheart."

"Really, now," Q raises an eyebrow. “How did that go?”

“I married her,” Mallory murmurs, not looking away from Q once. “We’d been on and off throughout our teens. We’d been married just a few years before…”

Q nods silently. Mallory doesn’t need to finish the sentence.

“Three months can make a big difference,” Mallory says matter-of-factly. Like it hadn’t been something that had changed his entire life. “I kept telling myself that I would make it, that I would get home, that everything would go back to the way it was. I must have known, even then, that I was kidding myself.”

“She left you.” Q can feel a bubble of anger rising in his chest as he realises it.

“I wasn’t the easiest person to live with then,” Mallory admits. With a small smile, he adds, “I’m still not.”

“But she _left_ you,” Q repeats, sitting up, shaking his head.

“I pushed her away,” Mallory corrects. “I pushed everyone away. I threw myself into work and that only made things even more difficult. For me, for everyone around me.”

“I wouldn’t let you push me away,” Q mutters, fiercely determined. “I wouldn’t move a damn inch.”

Mallory smiles at that, though he doesn’t look entirely convinced. He places his hand on Q’s shoulder, as if _he’s_ the one who needs the comfort. Q takes the hand in his own and lifts it to his lips.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promises. He’s still here, after the countless times Mallory had tried to talk him out of their relationship, convinced that Q could do better. “You have me.”

“Is that so?” Mallory’s voice is quiet, a soft smile on his lips. He sits up, pulling Q into his lap. Their kiss is gentle and unhurried, and Q wants to kiss all of Mallory’s doubt away. He wants to silently communicate the fact that there is nothing in the world that would make Q want to leave.

When they pull apart, Mallory’s smile has grown wider. He runs his fingers over Q’s shoulder, lightly tracing the bite marks from before. “Yes. I suppose I do.”


End file.
